Rollinson dominates to seal 1-Hour NIERDC grand finale in record-breaking style

Gene Rollinson delivered a commanding drive to win the Grand Finale of the 2025 North Island Endurance Series 1-Hour race, putting in a clinical and relentless performance that saw him take the chequered flag nearly 19 seconds clear of the field and set a new lap record in the process.

The action kicked off with fireworks from the very start. As the lights went out, Rollinson launched off the front row and snatched the lead into Turn 1 with a lightning getaway, immediately setting the tone for what would become a dominant display.

While Rollinson surged ahead, there was chaos behind. Paul Kelly and James Parker tangled early on after Kelly misjudged his braking, tipping Parker around and sending both tumbling to the back of the Class 1 field.

Meanwhile, Nick Chester was on a charge, making a storming start from seventh on the grid to slot into third by the end of the opening lap. Two laps in, and Rollinson already had a commanding 5.5-second lead.

The gap stretched steadily as he laid down searing pace, clocking fast laps in the low 1:33s and then dipping into the 1:32s to set a new race lap record of 1:32.9, his car hooked up and on rails around the sweeping Hampton Downs circuit.

Ten minutes into the race, Rollinson led Chester by nearly five seconds, with Mana Malmezac, the Brooks/Riding pairing, and the De Veth/Holland entry rounding out the top five. The De Veth/Holland machine also led the way in Class 2, while Kent Quinn and Conley Webley were out front in Class 3 and Class 4, respectively.

But just as the race began to settle, the Safety Car was deployed just 2.5 minutes before the mandatory pit window opened. The cause was the #42 Lamborghini of Malmezac, who spun on the exit of turn 12, beaching the Lambo in the gravel trap.

After being towed out he was able to make it back to the pits for a quick check-over. The spin costing him three laps and a shot at the podium.

Once the green flag waved again, pit stops came thick and fast. Rollinson emerged from pit lane still in control, with Chester in hot pursuit and the battle for third heating up as Kelly and Brooks locked horns in a tense scrap that would rage right through to the final laps.

Rollinson continued to push hard, at one stage lapping nearly two seconds faster than Chester as he opened the margin to nearly 10 seconds. But Chester wasn’t done yet; he clawed a second back as they diced through lapped traffic, the gap fluctuating lap after lap as the front-runners navigated the congested track.

Further back, a fierce contest for fifth and sixth unfolded between Kris Bostock and endurance debutant Andy Childe, with just two-tenths of a second separating them in the closing stages.

As the final minutes ticked down, Rollinson again turned up the heat, extending his lead to a staggering 18.8 seconds heading into the last lap.

There was no denying him; he crossed the line a dominant winner of the final 1-Hour race of the season and etched his name into the record books with a new lap benchmark.

Chester held on to second, while Kelly’s gritty recovery was rewarded with the final step on the podium, having fended off intense pressure from Brooks over the closing laps.

In the class battles, it was Quinn who took the honours in Class 3, with Glen Chappel second and Stephen Scoles completing the podium. In Class 4, Conley Webley emerged victorious after a smooth and consistent drive.

Final Results – NIERDC Round 3 (1 Hour Race):

Header Image: Matt Smith